Homemade Tomato Salt
The Best Way to Use Leftover Tomato Skins
There’s something incredibly satisfying about turning what would normally end up in the compost into one of the most flavorful ingredients in your kitchen.
After making a fresh tomato sauce with Love Apple Farm’s Brandywine Sudduth heirloom tomatoes, I couldn’t bring myself to throw away the beautiful tomato skins. Instead, I dehydrated them until they were crisp, blended them into a fine powder, and mixed them with San Francisco Salt Co.’s Flaky Sea Salt.
The result is an intensely flavorful finishing salt that tastes like concentrated summer tomatoes.
Sprinkle it over scrambled eggs, avocado toast, pasta, fresh sliced tomatoes, roasted vegetables, popcorn, grilled meats, or use it to rim your favorite Bloody Mary. Once you make a jar, you’ll find yourself reaching for it constantly.
Yield: About 1 cup
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Dry Time: 10 hours
Ingredients
- Skins from 8 large heirloom tomatoes
- ¾ cup San Francisco Salt Co. Flaky Sea Salt
Instructions
Step 1: Save the Tomato Skins
After blanching and peeling your tomatoes, lay the skins in a single layer on your dehydrator trays. Try to keep them from overlapping so they dry evenly.
Step 2: Dehydrate
Set your dehydrator to 165°F and dry the tomato skins for approximately 10 hours, or until they are completely crisp and brittle.
The skins should snap easily when they’re fully dehydrated. Any remaining moisture will shorten the shelf life of your tomato salt.
Step 3: Blend
Place the dehydrated tomato skins into a blender, spice grinder, or food processor.
Blend until they become a fine powder.
Step 4: Mix with Salt
In a bowl, combine the tomato powder with ¾ cup San Francisco Salt Co. Flaky Sea Salt.
Stir gently until evenly distributed.
For a finer finishing salt, pulse everything together a few times in a food processor. If you prefer more texture, simply mix by hand to preserve the beautiful flaky crystals.
Step 5: Store
Transfer the tomato salt to an airtight glass jar and store in a cool, dry place.
For the freshest flavor, enjoy within 6 months.
Ways to Use Tomato Salt
This homemade seasoning adds incredible depth to almost any savory dish.
Try it on:
- Scrambled eggs
- Fried eggs
- Fresh garden tomatoes
- Pasta
- Homemade focaccia
- Sourdough bread
- Roasted vegetables
- Grilled steak or chicken
- French fries
- Popcorn
- Avocado toast
- Caprese salad
- Bloody Marys
- Margarita rims
- Fresh mozzarella
- Burrata
- Olive oil bread dip
Tips
- Use ripe, flavorful tomatoes for the richest tomato powder.
- Make sure the skins are completely dry before blending.
- Store in an airtight container away from humidity.
- If your kitchen is humid, add a food-safe silica packet to help keep the salt crisp.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make this in the oven?
Yes! If you don’t have a dehydrator, place the tomato skins on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake at your oven’s lowest temperature (around 170–200°F) until completely dry and brittle. This may take 6–10 hours, depending on your oven.
Can I use different tomatoes?
Absolutely. While I love the rich flavor of Brandywine Sudduth heirloom tomatoes, any ripe, flavorful tomato will work beautifully.
How long does tomato salt last?
Stored in an airtight container in a cool, dry place, tomato salt will stay fresh for about 6 months.
From My Kitchen
One of my favorite parts of cooking is finding creative ways to use every part of an ingredient. Something as simple as a tomato skin, which usually gets tossed away, can become a seasoning that brings incredible flavor to so many dishes.
A huge thank you to Love Apple Farm for growing some of the most beautiful heirloom tomatoes and to San Francisco Salt Co. for their Flaky Sea Salt, which made this recipe truly shine.
